


for hope burns bright

by clarakent (niewanyin)



Series: Jason Todd Week [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blue Lantern Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Gen, Jason doesn't die
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:02:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22842943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niewanyin/pseuds/clarakent
Summary: He molds the hope into something strong, something implacable. He refuses to believe anything else.Taking a deep breath, he nurtures the flame inside him to a roaring bonfire. The hope fills him, courses through him.And then, Jason feels it. Something's coming towards him, and it's Bruce. It has to be. He can think of nothing else in the world it could be.
Relationships: Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne
Series: Jason Todd Week [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1642177
Comments: 30
Kudos: 392





	for hope burns bright

**Author's Note:**

> For Jason Doesn't Die for Jason Todd Week
> 
> Many, many thanks to njw for sparking the idea that led to this fic and feriswheel for betaing this fic

Jason curls in on himself, hugging his stomach in pain. Every part of his body hurts, and he can't resist sobbing from the pain coursing through him. He bites his lips because he doesn't want to let the Joker or Sheila hear it. He doesn't think they deserve to hear his pain, which Jason knows is a ridiculous thing to think, but it's what rattles through his mind, so he hangs onto it as tight as he can.

He just has to make it through the Joker's taunts and his grand declaration of his plan, and then Bruce will come to rescue him in the nick of time. That's what Bruce does. No matter what their problems are and no matter how much Jason worries that Bruce is just going to leave in the dust one day, he's never going to. Bruce actually gives a shit about him—something that no person has done since his mom died.

His  _ real _ mom, not Sheila the asshole.

Jason cracks open his eyes, defiant gaze settling somewhere in front of him, holding onto the hope that Bruce will rescue him. He molds the hope into something strong, something implacable. He refuses to believe anything else.

Taking a deep breath, he nurtures the flame inside him to a roaring bonfire. The hope fills him, courses through him.

And then, Jason feels it. Something's coming towards him, and it's Bruce. It has to be. He can think of nothing else in the world it could be.

There’s a boom and a blue light and a ring is sliding onto his fingers and the hope that is coursing through Jason explodes into the world. He screams in shock as visions flicker though his head,  _ “Your hope is strong, young one. You will be a fine addition to the Blue Lantern Corps,” _ and Jason sees the shock on the Joker's face before he's knocked down. He feels his wounds stitching together, his bones knitting together, the pain leaving his body. He sees Sheila's eyes widening. And he feels Bruce, so close, but Jason doesn't know if he would have been close enough to rescue Jason if this ring hadn't come to him. But it doesn't matter, because Jason knows that Bruce was coming for him, hoping against hope that he was going to be able to rescue Jason before he got here.

Jason pays no attention to the Joker and his goons or Sheila. He closes his eyes, focuses on his ring, and  _ flies. _

He lands right in front of the car, the tires screeching to a halt, and Bruce forces himself out of the car. Jason knows that his eyes are wide behind his cowl, as he takes in. . . Actually, Jason doesn't know, but if he's anything like Mr. Jordan, then he should have a nice new suit right now.

Looking down, he gasps. A strange symbol—the Blue Lantern Corps symbol—he thinks, is in the middle of his chest, but everything else is different. He doesn't have a cape anymore, just a sleek suit made of blue, but it looks more than a little like his Robin uniform. A tunic of sky blue and a belt of navy, paired with tights of navy as well. His boots are so dark that they're almost midnight. The symbol is right where the R would be.

Jason looks back up at Bruce, feeling the smile threatening to break his face before shock overtakes him as he watches Bruce pull off his cowl—something he  _ never _ does when they're out in the open like this. Jason sees the tears in his eyes, and he doesn't even think before he's running into Bruce's arms. 

"Dad!" he yells. He's never actually said the word to Bruce, but he somehow knows Bruce always secretly hoped either he or Dick would call him that. Jason wants to give that to Bruce. Hearing him say it sends another jolt of hope through Bruce, and Jason feels it giving him a small sort of power.

He buries his face into Bruce's chest, bringing his arms around his dad and squeezing tight. Bruce is solid muscle, and though Jason has been sprouting up like a weed, he still feels so small in Bruce's arms. "You were looking for me," he whispers, and he can feel Bruce's nod where his father's face is planted in his hair.

"I'm always going to look for you, Jaybird," Bruce whispers back, and Jason gives the sobs permission to escape him now. Bruce has the right to hear them.

He's so comforted by his father's arms that he almost misses the hope flickering in the back of his mind.

Not his own hope. The  _ Joker's _ hope. He's hoping to find Jason and destroy him, because he doesn't want a Robin running around, not when it'll cause Batman so much anguish.

Jason's eyes fly open and he grits his teeth.

No. He won't allow this man to hurt him anymore.

He wrenches himself out of Bruce's grasp and turns on his heels. Gritting his teeth, he flies (he's actually  _ flying,  _ without the use of the grapple or anything else, it's just him and the air and the feeling of freedom) towards the Joker.

Jason slams down on the ground in front of the Joker and his goons in the cars, where Sheila is battered and tied up in the backseat of one. Anger tries to burn though Jason, but it's falling into air, leaving Jason only with determination and hope that he'll bring this clown's reign of terror to a close. He grips the hope he feels coming from the Joker, because for Jason, it's tangible. And the hope is so tainted with anger and hate and despair that in Jason's mind, the hope goes up in dust and the Joker stops his car, mouth falling open and eyes widening. He's fighting Jason, but Jason refuses to lose. The ugly hope is melting, and Jason senses flickers of the hope of the man that the Joker once was somewhere underneath the pure need to burn the world down.

Turning his attention to the mooks, he grabs their hopes to make things up to their family, to do something better with their lives, to pay for their crimes. It sends those hopes in overdrive, making them realize these aren't just hopes, but things they need to do. They turn around, the ones in the Joker's car jumping out and racing to the other cars to drive themselves to a better life.

On the outskirts of his mind, Jason feels Sheila's hope that she won't die. There are other hopes, but Jason doesn't look at them right now.

One thing at a time.

He walks over to the Joker, opens the door, and grips his shirt, pulling him out of the car.

"You have destroyed so many hopes and dreams," Jason yells, leaning in close to his face. "You have tormented people and brought them to their knees. And I would—I would—"

Jason knows that he would love nothing more than to do the same to the Joker.

But he doesn't hope for it. It doesn't fulfill the satisfaction of knowing that a hope's been fulfilled.

No, Jason knows what he really hopes.

"You're going to go to Arkham," Jason says, chest heaving. "I'm going to visit you every week. I am going to destroy the ugly hope that the Joker has inside you. And then? And then we're going to find out the kind of man you are. We're going to find out  _ who _ you are."

He hears the Batmobile pull up behind him, but he doesn't look. He stares in the Joker's eyes. The Joker’s eyes are filled with fear and anger, and he snaps his teeth in an attempt to bite Jason. He moves too quickly for the villain to snatch him, and with the Joker’s injuries and exhaustion, he soon gives up without a fight. Somewhere deep inside him, Jason feels certain that he's going to kill the Joker by finding the true man inside. He looks up at Sheila, her eyes wide as she trembles in the front seat. Her hope of not dying has passed.

Now, she's just hoping that one day Jason can forgive her.

He swallows the knot in his throat. "I hope so too." He hears Bruce running towards the three of them. "But right now, I need to be with my dad."

Allowing himself to look back, he sees Bruce, beaming with pride. Jason made him proud. He did that. And he can feel all of Bruce's hope, which is all about how he wants Jason to be happy. To thrive.

It's what Jason wants for Bruce as well.

"Let's go back to Gotham," Jason says, his voice cracking as the emotions of the night start to overwhelm him. "I just want to sleep in my own bed."

"Of course," Bruce whispers to him, grabbing his shoulders and moving him towards the Batmobile. "Get in. I'll take care of these two."

Jason nods, sliding into the passenger seat and closing his eyes. He's out before Bruce has even gotten one of them back to the car.

*

He wakes up on the plane back to Gotham, dressed in clean and comfortable clothes, Bruce right next to him. Jason's head is actually on Bruce's shoulder, and it's a really comfortable shoulder. "Bruce," he mumbles. "How far are we from home?"

His wounds had healed in that initial blast of blue light, but he can still feel the lingering soreness and discomfort from the Joker's wounds.

Bruce has a hand in Jason’s hair, scratching his head almost like he would a cat, and Jason finds it more soothing than he wants. "Eight more hours. Go back to sleep, you need it."

"Okay." Jason's eyes are fighting to close again. "Imma Blue Lantern now." He's proud of that. That's something good.

"You are," Bruce says, his voice filled with laughter. "I'm contacting John right now, so he can help you with the adjustment period."

"Good," Jason says, shifting into Bruce's warmth. "I'm not Robin anymore, but that's okay." He wants to be Robin, but he knows that's not right for him anymore. "But don't worry. Imma help you find a new one."

(Two weeks later, a shrimp of a kid is taking pictures of Batman, Nightwing, and Blue Lantern. Jason can feel the kid's hopes. Hope that one day, his parents will love him. Hope that one day, he can become a famous photographer. Hope that one day, Batman will notice him.

Hope that one day, he'll have a family. Jason smiles.

He told Bruce he'd find him a Robin, and a Blue Lantern always keeps his promises.)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm salazarastark on tumblr as well, so follow me [here](https://salazarastark.tumblr.com/)! I'm not as active as I'd like to be, but I'm always up for talking about my fics or anything else!


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